


who are we (if not who they’ve made us to be)?

by Caicieskate



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste Is Sunshine, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Needs a Hug, Ambiguous Relationships, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Chloé Bourgeois Being Chloé Bourgeois, Episode: s03 Caméléon | Chameleon Spoilers, Episode: s03 Chat Blanc Spoilers, Gen, Hot Mess Adrien Agreste, Hot Mess Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Hurt Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, I don’t know what else to tag this as, I'm Bad At Tagging, Identity Reveal, Lila Rossi's Lies Are Exposed, Long Shot, Manipulative Lila Rossi, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Is a Mess, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Needs a Hug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Deserves Better, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Identity Reveal, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Needs a Break, Memories, Memory Related, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, Mentioned Lila Rossi, Nightmares, No Romance, Oblivious Marinette Dupain-Cheng, One Shot, Post-Episode: s03 Caméléon | Chameleon, Post-Episode: s03 Chat Blanc, So many tags, Strong Marinette Dupain-Cheng, alongside her sun siblings Nathaniel and Adrien, bad memories, like it’s mentioned but not at all focused on, marinette is a sunshine child, one-sided identity reveal, there’s so much to unpack here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 15:47:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29935707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caicieskate/pseuds/Caicieskate
Summary: Marinette and her class are sucked into her mind to relive her worst memories by an akuma who wants to make her happy again.The road to hell is paved with good intentions, and this is Marinette’s personal hell.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alix Kubdel & Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Alya Césaire & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Chloé Bourgeois & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Alix Kubdel, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Classmates, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Lê Chiến Kim, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Lê Chiến Kim & Nino Lahiffe, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Nino Lahiffe, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Original Male Character(s), Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Tikki
Comments: 15
Kudos: 231





	who are we (if not who they’ve made us to be)?

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly, not sure what this is. Beware. Maybe TW? Yeah, just in case.
> 
> TW: Nightmares, minor panic attack, lots of crying

They weren’t expecting it. To be fair, they didn’t expect most akuma attacks, but at least an alert went out most of the time or you could catch a glimpse of the chaos and run. This akuma wasn’t like that. He came in just as the class sat down for the first bell, inconspicuous and quiet. Marinette noticed him first. A bag hanging off his shoulder and clothed in a black hoodie with the hood up, she mistook him for a lost younger student. 

“Excuse me? My name’s Marinette. Do you need some help?” She asked, smiling kindly as she approached him. She froze as he glanced up at her, a bruise in the shape of a handprint blossoming across his cheek.

“Oh my gosh! Are you okay? What happened?” Rushing forward, Marinette opened her bag quickly and grabbed one of the spare bandages she always kept in case of any accidents. With how wobbly her feet were sometimes, it became habit to pack bandaids and bruise cream. The boy stared at her and it was only as she reached to tilt his head that she finally noticed the way his eyes shone gold. Her fingers jolted to a stop just before touching him, his hand latching onto her wrist like a snake.

“You’re so nice,” he muttered, eyeing her sadly. She squeaked as he squeezed her wrist to the point it was painful. Anyone who wasn’t already watching turned at the noise, finding their class president at the hands of a boy they’d never seen before.

“Hey! Let Marinette go. Can’t you see that’s hurting her?” Kim yelled, frowning at the boy. Marinette shot Kim a quick glance, shaking her head.

“Kim. He’s an akuma,” Marinette explained calmly. Almost immediately, everyone burst into noise. Mylene and Rose started crying, Juleka and Ivan desperately trying to comfort them. Alya whipped out her phone and Nino made an aborted grab for Marinette. Adrien gaped at akuma before settling on an uneasy expression and Chloe shrieked.

“What the hell!? You only just mention this now!? Why are you talking to an akuma in the first place!?” Chloe screamed, using Sabrina as a meatshield. Sabrina shook in her shoes. Kim looked about ready to throw hands and Max was trying to convince him not to. Meanwhile, Nathaniel ducked behind his desk and Alix cursed.

The akuma stared at Chloe with a neutral expression that somehow still managed to convey his dislike of her. She wilted behind Sabrina. Turning back to Marinette, the akuma tilted his head.

“Marinette?” He whispered softly. She frowned, nodding slowly.

“Yes?”

He pointed to himself. “Douloureux.”

Marinette’s heart broke. This boy was tiny, small and fragile. He seemed so young. How could Hawkmoth prey on the distress of a child?

“I see. What happened, Douloureux? Why are you upset?” She asked, slowly raising her free hand and pushing down his hood. He didn’t stop her, even as his eyes followed every movement. With the hood no longer blocking out his features as much, she was witness to the full extent of his bruising. It spanned from his jaw to just below his eye. She noted that the handprint was larger than even her hands. An adult had done this to him. He leaned into her hand as it settled in his hair. She wanted to cry.

“Mama. Papa. Screaming,” he confided in her, “loud and painful. I... got in the way.”

Reaching out with her captured hand, she gently pressed her fingers to the bruise. He didn’t let go of her wrist, but his grip was a little looser. “Did one of them hit you?”

He nodded, looking at the ground. He didn’t say who and she didn’t press. Hurting and young he may be, but he was still an akuma. She wasn’t sure how he would react to anything. Some akuma could be quite volatile.

“Ladybug and Chat Noir can help you. You don’t have to hurt anyone,” she said carefully. Douloureux shook his head, removing her fingers from his face. 

“Not hurting.  _ Helping _ ,” he declared. Alix snorted.

“How does teaming up with a whack-job terrorist who likes to catch and release butterflies like they’re Pokémon help anyone?” She remarked, not holding back any snark even in the face of an akumatized person. Max cuffed her on the back of the head, scowling.

“There is a 94.75% chance that will only rile up the akuma and make things worse for us,” He informed her, glaring slightly. Alix pouted, rubbing her head. 

“I swear to Queen Bee, Kudbel, if I have to deal with a pissed off akuma because of you, I’ll sic so many of my daddy’s lawyers on you, you won’t know right from left,” Chloe snarled. Kim snickered.

“She already doesn’t know right from left.”

Alix punched him in the shoulder. “Shut up!”

“Um, guys, hello? There’s literally an akuma in the front of our classroom holding Marinette hostage. Maybe not the time?” Nino butt in, gesturing to Douloureux’s iron grip on Marinette. Kim’s snickers cut off abruptly. That was right. Marinette was in danger, and they couldn’t do anything about it. Angering the akuma would only get her hurt. Adrien slowly stood up.

“Listen, Douloureux, Marinette’s right. Don’t let Hawkmoth take advantage of you. It doesn’t have to go like this,” he pleaded. Douloureux growled.

“Help! I help! Not hurt!” Douloureux insisted. Marinette rushed to comfort him, running her fingers through his hair.

“Shh, shh, it’s alright. I believe you. You want to help, right? You’re not going to hurt anyone,” she assured him, “How are you going to help? What can you do?”

Douloureux relaxed under her hand, peeking up at her almost shyly. “Bad memories. Make Mama sad ‘n’ Papa angry. I make them go bye-bye. I make Mama ‘n’ Papa happy again. No more screaming.”

Marinette tried not to let her uneasiness show. He could manipulate memories? Or was it just erasing bad ones? Could he view any memory? Could he see them without permission? That could be dangerous. Douloureux seemed to sense her questions, squirming slightly. He lit up as an idea hit him.

“Kind!” He smiled. “You kind?”

Marinette frowned slightly, not sure where this was going. “Um... I think I’m kind, yes. Other people may think differently but I try my best to be nice to everyone I meet.”

Douloureux nodded. “You kind. But... you sad. I show you my powers. I make you not sad anymore!”

Marinette’s eyes widened. She couldn’t let him mess with her memories. She had no idea how his powers worked. What if he discovered her identity? What if he made her forget something important? Hastily, she shook her head.

“No, no, I--“ It was too late. Just as she got the words out, his eyes lit up with a gold so bright it looked like he’d harnessed the sun itself. She squinted against the light, curling into herself. In just a blink, she was transported somewhere completely new. It was dark, a muted pink cage with red liquid bleeding through cuts in the walls. Black dots oozed out alongside the red while white dots were splattered across the pink. 

“Where are we?” 

Marinette spun at the voice, just to see Alya looking around in awe and recording everything on her phone. The rest of her classmates were all there too, dazed and confused.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. The whole place felt familiar but not for any reason she could place. It just felt...  _ right _ .

“Marinette!” A voice called and she turned around just as Douloureux collided with her, wrapping his tiny arms around her waist in a hug. She stared at him for a while before hesitantly patting his head. Kneeling down, she met his eyes.

“Douloureux, where are we?”

He smiled like she‘d said something funny. “Marinette.”

She shook her head, frowning. “No joking around, Douloureux. Where did you take us?”

“Marinette,” Douloureux said again, this time quieter as he stared up at her. When her frown only deepened, tears started gathering in his eyes. Immediately, she choked on her empathy and hugged him again.

“Wait, dudette... Isn’t that the playground that we used to visit as kids?” Nino pointed to the side. Marinette turned, surprised to see an exact replica of the old playground by the pond. It had been torn down years ago, but in elementary school, she went there all the time with Nino and Kim. Why was it here?

“Wait, you don’t think...?” She whipped her head around to stare at Nino, wide eyed. He nodded, frowning.

“He’s saying your name because that  is where we are. I think we’re in your head, Marinette,” Nino stated grimly. Marinette shook her head.

“No, no, we can’t be. I- no, no, no...” 

Putting a hand on Douloureux’s shoulder, Marinette pleaded with him. “Please, you have to take us back. Not here. Our classroom. Please!”

Douloureux sniffled. “Can’t. Gotta make bad memories go bye-bye before we can leave.”

Marinette paled. This was bad. Actually, this was worse than bad. This was a downright  _ disaster _ . Getting rid of her bad memories meant, not only exposing things to her classmates that she didn’t want them to see or know, but also that she might lose all of her memories of being Ladybug. After all, fighting akumas wasn’t exactly her definition of a fun time. 

“Are you saying that the only way to leave is to watch Dupain-Cheng’s depressing backstory!? What the hell!? Why am I even here!? This is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!” Chloe shrieked, waving her hands around. A few other students murmured in agreement before Alya spoke up.

“Hey, now, I’m sure this’ll be quick. And it’ll be awesome footage for the Ladyblog! Besides, it’s just Marinette. Her worst memories are probably just her tripping over air every time she’s near her crush,” Alya teased, not seeming to realize how hurtful her words were. Chloe sniffed, throwing her hair over her shoulder.

“Obviously you don’t know Marinette at all if you think her worst memories are going to be so plain. Quite the best friend,” Chloe scoffed. Alya lit up red.

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean!?”

“Guys!” Nino groaned. “We’re literally in the middle of an akuma attack and trapped in Marinette’s head about to see memories that I’m sure she’d rather not share.  _ Not the time _ .”

Marinette worried on her bottom lip, desperately looking around for some way to leave. Or even just send her classmates away. 

“We can’t leave,” Marinette said, pointing between herself and Douloureux, “but what about them? Can you send them back, Douloureux?”

Douloureux glanced at her classmates, brows furrowed. He shook his head. “Not supposed to be here. They got stuck. Accident. Can’t go back without bad memories gone.”

“Accident? You mean, you didn’t mean to drag us here?” Adrien prompted. He hoped Ladybug could fare without him for now. Douloureux shook his head again.

“Marinette. Only Marinette. You got...” he struggled for the right word, “sucked in. Not supposed to be here.”

“Great. Kidnapped by accident. You know, I’d always thought that if I was ever kidnapped it’d be because they wanted me. Not because I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Alix muttered, crossing her arms. Kim grinned.

“You too? I expected my kidnapping to be a lot more... action-packed. I’m a bit disappointed, to be honest.” Kim frowned.

“Oh my god, I’m the only sane one,” Nino whispered in horror. Alya cackled, recording it all with glee.

“Let’s hurry this up then!” Alya urged, zooming the camera in on Marinette’s face. When Marinette went white as a sheet, Alya’s eyes softened. “Hey, it’s okay, girl. Think of it this way; the sooner we do this, the sooner we leave here and Ladybug can defeat the akuma. We promise to never make fun of anything we see through your memories either. Right?”

The class murmured in agreement. It didn’t make her feel any better.

“Sorry Nettie,” Nino rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s so not cool, but it doesn’t seem like we have a choice.”

Marinette flinched. She knew it was true. This was the only way. That didn’t mean she had to like it. Straightening up, she pretended her hands weren’t shaking and faced Douloureux.

“How does this work?” She asked. He tilted his head, reaching to hold her hand. She let him.

“We watch worst memories. You face them and when all have been watched, I send you back. I keep bad memories in jar. They can’t hurt you there.” He opened the bag hanging off his shoulder, revealing several jars with swirling liquid inside. It was like the stars themselves had been plucked from the sky and forced into his glass containers. Marinette could only stare.

“What if I want my bad memories? Can’t I keep them?” She implored him softly. He hesitated, fiddling with his bag. Slowly, he shook his head.

“Bad memories. Make you sad. I take them. You no sad anymore,” he stated firmly. This, she could tell, was not a fight she could win.

“Fine,” she relented. “Just... make it quick.”

She squared her shoulders as Douloureux nodded. The rest of the class watched in an uncomfortable silence as Douloureux waved his hands and a large screen appeared. Static filled the video before it cut into a first-person view.

“One,” Douloureux declared. Adrien frowned.

“How many are there total?”

“Four.”

Four. Four memories, four possible reveals, four painful times she didn’t want to face. Four.

“Let’s just... start,” Marinette mumbled. She glanced up hesitantly as Nino sidled up beside her. He gave her a smile, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. A hand ruffled her hair and she looked up to see Kim grinning down at her.

“Don’t worry ‘bout a thing, little Nettie! Kim the Crusher is here to protect you!” He winked, flexing his muscles. She couldn’t help snorting, leaning even more into Nino. Nino and Kim were always there for her, even when they were kids and she was getting picked on by Chloe. The past few years, they’d drifted apart, but it felt nice to know that, if it came down to it, they would always have her back. Douloureux watched them with an unreadable look. Marinette would almost say it was... longing. Abruptly, Douloureux turned back to the screen.

“Start.”

The video played.

** “Just as Paris is about to celebrate the arrival of two new heroes, a wave of panic has hit the capital as dozens of people are suddenly transformed into stone monsters!” Nadja Chamack reported. “It’s simply unbelievable!”  **

The whole class flinched. They remembered that day well. Ivan hid his face in Mylene’s hair as she gently rubbed his arm. 

“It’s okay,” she reassured him. 

** Marinette sucked in a sharp gasp, her mother mirroring her. “Oh my!” **

** “These victims turned into Stonebeings are still-like statues. Police are perplexed. What will happen to them? Will they come to life or be frozen in time forever?” Nadja continued. Marinette spun on her heel, rushing up to her bedroom without a word. Slamming the hatch shut behind her, she whirled around to see Tikki floating by a plate of cookies. **

“Woah, what’s that? It’s so cute!” Rose squealed, yanking on Juleka’s arm. Marinette winced. She knew it was likely her identity would be found out, but so soon? 

“Well, better to rip it off like a bandaid, right?” She whispered to herself. Nino gave her a questioning look but focused back on the screen at the appearance of a new voice.

** “Did you capture the akuma?” Tikki asked, worried eyes bouncing between Marinette and the screen. **

“It talks?” Juleka murmured, watching intently. “Is it some rare animal? I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Marinette avoided looking anyone in the eye.

** “What’s that got to do with the other Stonebeings?” Marinette asked, frowning. With a sigh, Tikki flew up to point at the screen where sightings of the Stonebeings were flagged. **

** “An akuma can multiply, that’s why it must be captured. If Ivan becomes negative again, the akuma will turn him back into Stoneheart. He’ll be able to use the Stonebeings as his army.” Tikki flitted about, chattering nervously. Marinette gasped. **

“That’s a kwami,” Chloe said blankly. Marinette froze. With a carefully calm expression, Chloe stared at Marinette. “That’s  _ Ladybug’s _ kwami.”

Alya looked between the two. “What? No... that’s just an animal. Marinette isn’t... she would have told me if...”

“Ah, yes, a rare animal that can talk, fly, looks like ladybug, and pretended to be a stuffed animal when I gave it to Prince Ali.” Chloe rolled her eyes. Alya glared.

“Stop it! Marinette would have told me, we’re best friends!” Alya persisted, “We tell each other everything... Right, Marinette?”

And, oh, Alya’s voice was so vulnerable, so hesitant. Marinette couldn’t even look at her.

“I already told you, Alya, the night of the Sapotis. ‘If I was Ladybug, I wouldn’t even tell you, to protect you from the baddies.’ You remember, don’t you? ‘You must never reveal your identity to anyone. Not your friends, not your family, and not the Ladyblog.’” 

Alya was like a statue. She just stared. Marinette could feel Nino shifting beside her, but she didn’t look at him. Couldn’t look at him. He knew who she was too, now. After all, he was Carapace, he knew what a kwami looked like. 

** “So that means... this is all my fault?” Marinette realized. “I knew it, Tikki. I’m not cut out to be a superhero. I’m only going to keep messing up.” **

** “Calm down,” Tikki reassured her, “It was your first time. You’re going to go back and capture Stoneheart’s akuma and do it successfully! **

** “I can’t!” Marinette cried. “I told you, I’m clumsy. I create disaster all the time! I’ll only make things worse for everyone! Chat Noir’s better off without me. I’m quitting, Tikki.” **

** “No Marinette! Only Ladybug can capture akumas,” Tikki pleaded with her. Marinette shook her head. **

** “If Chat Noir can’t capture akumas, then just... find another Ladybug. I told you, I’m not cut out to be Ladybug. I’m sorry, Tikki.” She reached for her earrings, carefully taking off the backings and sliding them off. **

** “No, don’t--“  **

** When Marinette opened her eyes, Tikki was gone. She looked around, but there was no hint of the kwami. She sniffled, putting the earrings in the miraculous box and closing it in her drawer. Sliding to the floor, Marinette hugged her knees and cried. **

** “I’m really sorry, Tikki.” **

The screen faded to black. All was silent.

“Wait, so...  _ you’re _ Ladybug?” Alix exclaimed, skating to Marinette’s side. Marinette hid her face, nodding.

“Yes.”

“And you  _ quit _ being Ladybug?”

“Yes.”

“But... you’re still Ladybug...?”

“Yes,” Marinette sighed, guilt festering in her chest like a fungus. “I... tried to give the Miraculous away, but the person I was giving it to got caught up in the attack and I had to transform to save them. Then I made that promise to Paris that we would protect them and... I couldn’t give up being Ladybug after that.”

“My bag,” Alya said suddenly. Marinette was surprised when Alya’s head shot up to stare at her harshly. “My  _ bag _ . That day, you kept trying to get me to bring my bag everywhere. You even insisted I take it when I went to record footage for the Ladyblog. But I didn’t and I got stuck between the wall and a car that was tossed at me. Ladybug saved me almost immediately after.” Alya shook her head. “ _ You _ saved me. Did you...?”

Marinette nodded. “I thought... you would be perfect. You’re the opposite of me and always confident, with a strong sense of justice. I thought you would be better than I ever could be.”

Alya blinked. Then, she laughed.

“No. No, no, no.  _ You’re _ Ladybug.  _ You’re _ one half of Paris’ superhero duo.  _ You’re _ the only one who can cleanse akumas.  _ You _ are Ladybug. I could never be.”

Marinette didn’t respond. Adrien, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly dropped to the floor and curled into a ball. He let out a low, keening noise. 

“Dude...” Nino let her go to step closer to Adrien. “Are you okay?”

Adrien let out a pitiful groan. “Ladybug...”

Like a switch was flipped, Nino went from concerned to laughing. “Oh dude, I totally forgot about your huge crush on her.”

“C-Crush...?” Marinette’s face blazed red. Adrien groaned again.

“I literally called her our Everyday Ladybug... How did I not know? Am I stupid?” He bemoaned, “Why is this my life...?”

Marinette squeaked when a hand grabbed her own. Looking down, Douloureux tugged on her hand. She gave him a curious look.

“Is something wrong?” She asked. Douloureux gave her an uncertain look.

“Bad memory...” He mumbled. Marinette squeezed his hand.

“What about it?”

“Not... not bad anymore...?” He sounded so confused. It made Marinette want to wrap him up in a blanket and hug him. She smiled softly.

“Bad memories can be softened by good ones. Sometimes even replaced. Just because they’re bad now, doesn’t mean they always will be. This was a bad memory for me, because I felt weak. But... my friends have made it a better memory because I can see it as something to learn from now, not just something to be ashamed of.”

Douloureux stared at her. He seemed conflicted. In a quick motion, he stepped back and turned back to the screen.

“Two.”

** Marinette glared at herself in the mirror. Growling slightly, she turned away, just as the door to the bathroom opened. Lila entered, concern written across her features. **

** “Marinette?” Lila asked. “Oh, are you crying?” **

** Marinette scoffed. “No, I’m not.” **

** Lila flinched like she’d been struck. Looking at the ground, she held her wrist to her chest. **

** “I can sense that you don’t like me, but I don’t understand why. We barely know each other,” Lila pleaded. Marinette huffed under her breath.  **

“Wait, so you mean... When you told us Lila was lying about being Ladybug’s best friend...?” Alya trailed off. Marinette rolled her eyes.

“I wasn’t just being jealous, no. Honestly, it hurt a lot that you thought that. I’ve never been like that with Kagami. A bit rude at times, yeah, I’ll admit that. But actively targeting her or trying to make people hate her just because I’m jealous? I would never.”

“Still. You were a bit harsh. It was just one lie.”

Marinette scoffed. “Right. One lie.”

** “Don’t tell me it’s because of this new seating arrangement in class?” Lila guessed. When Marinette turned her nose up, Lila took that as a yes. “It is? Of course! You’re jealous because I’m sitting next to Adrien, because... you would have given anything to sit there yourself! You know what? It’s really not worth fighting over a boy! You and I could be friends, and who knows? I might even be able to help you with Adrien!” **

“She’s right, Marinette! I mean, fighting over a guy is dumb,” Alya tried to convince her. That, more than having to hear Lila spewing crap once again, made Marinette mad.

“It wasn’t about a boy!” Marinette snapped. “It was never about a boy! Sure, at the beginning, I felt a little annoyed because we liked the same person but I still would’ve befriended her. I’m friends with Kagami and we don’t have a problem! What mattered was her lying to my friends, to the people I cared about. What mattered was her pretending to be your friends and giving you empty promises! What mattered was being replaced, like I didn’t matter now that some shiny new girl came in! You shoved me to the back of the class! You didn’t even ask how I felt about it! And sure, one of us had to sit in the back to accommodate her tinnitus—which while I’m at it, I would like to point out is a total load of bull—but why did it have to be me!? Why did you kick me out and turn on me when I was just trying... I was trying to protect you...” 

Marinette hid her face in Nino’s chest, ugly sobbing. This wasn’t how she wanted it to go. This wasn’t how she wanted to tell her friends that them siding with Lila hurt. But she couldn’t hold it in anymore. Couldn’t face baseless accusations and being looked at like the enemy. It hurt, to be discarded so easily. Nino hugged her, rubbing a comforting hand up and down her back.

“It’s okay, Nettie,” He whispered. “It’s okay. I believe you. I’m sorry. It’s okay.”

** Marinette growled, “You and I will  _ only _ be friends the day you stop lying, Lila!” **

** Lila gasped, faking hurt. **

** “I can’t prove it, but I know for a fact you don’t have tinnitus, that your wrist is just fine, that you don’t know Prince Ali because you’ve never even set foot in Atchoo and that, despite what you got Alya to write on her Ladyblog, Ladybug has never saved you, let alone being best friends!” Marinette scowled, crossing her arms. In between blinks, Lila’s whole demeanour changed. From sweet and caring to the cold, manipulative girl Marinette knew Lila really was. Lila laughed slightly. **

** “C’mon now, Marinette.” Her eyes were cold as ice, a sneer pulling at her lips. “I only tell people what they want to hear.” **

The class gasped.

** “It’s called  _ lying _ !” Marinette snarled. Lila rolled her eyes. **

** “Whatever. There’s nothing you can do about it anyway. People can’t resist when they hear what they like to hear. If you don’t want to be my friend, fine! But soon, you won’t have any friends left at all, and trust me, I’ll make sure you never get close to Adrien in class or anywhere!” Lila pushed Marinette into the wall, caging her in on both sides. “You seem less dumb than the others so I’ll give you one last chance. You’re either with me or against me. You don’t have to answer right away, of course. I’ll give you till the end of class today.” **

** Flipping her hair over her shoulder, Lila smirked and sashayed out of the bathroom. **

“That... That witch!” Surprisingly, it was Nathaniel that shouted this. Marinette stared with wide eyes as Nathaniel stormed up to her. He grabbed her shoulder and scowled.

“You too? I called her out when she said that she knew the creators of the Ladybug comics and that she’d introduce us. Marc and I are the creators, so obviously I didn’t believe her. She said that she’d ruin me if I told anyone though,” He ranted. Marinette gasped. It hadn’t occurred to her that other people might have seen through her lies.

“What!?” Alix shouted. She skated over and tugged on Nathaniel’s arm. “I’ll destroy her! No one threatens my friends, especially not 2 out of the 3 sunshine children! Or wait...”

Alix turned to stare at Adrien. “Did she get to you too...?”

“Um... no? I mean, my father hired her to spy on me, so she’s threatened to get him on my case if I don’t go along with what she says and she’s given me a few bruises from holding on too tight but nothing really serious.” Adrien blinked. Alix blinked back.

“Forgot destroying her, I’ll  _ kill _ her! She’s harmed all 3 of the sunshine children!” Alix was practically foaming at the mouth. 

“It’s really not that big of a deal,” Adrien assured her. “I’m sure she’ll stop eventually, we just have to wait her out. It’s not worth getting her akumatized.”

Nino scowled. “Dude, you can’t actually think that’s okay.”

“W-What? What did I say wrong?” Adrien frowned. Nino shook his head.

“That might work for the media, but Lila isn’t just going to go away because you’re ignoring her. If anything, that’ll just make her  worse . Besides, you saw her threaten Nettie. She’s not scared to hurt people just to get what she wants. If anything, we all need to confront her, let her know that we won’t believe a word she says, and refuse to let her manipulate our relationships. You saw what she did already. Most of you were already doubting Marinette and Lila’s only been in school for a few weeks. For the months she was away ‘travelling’, everything was fine but as soon as she came back, Nettie got thrown to the wolves. That’s not cool, dudes.”

Adrien paled. He hadn’t thought of it like that. For him, the only way for a problem to go away was to ignore it and keep quiet. Father never listened to him even when he complained, so he’d learned to stop talking about any issues he might have. 

“Will she really just get worse?” Adrien wondered, fiddling with his ring. Nino nodded.

“100% sure she will. You’re giving her what she wants; control over you.”

“Oh,” Adrien said. “I-I... I’m sorry, I thought... I’m really sorry, Marinette. I should never have told you to keep quiet. I’m really  _ really _ sorry.”

Marinette smiled weakly. “It’s okay. I know you aren’t quite used to dealing with things like this. It hurt to hear you side with her, but... I understand why you said it.”

** Marinette stalked over to one of the stalls, slamming the door shut and sitting on the closed toilet. Tikki flew up to hug her cheek. **

** “I thought Chloe was evil--“ **

“Hey!”

** “--but Lila really takes the cake! She’s like a supervillain that doesn’t even need a costume!” **

“What do you mean she’s not wearing a costume? Her clothes are ridiculous, utterly ridiculous! What else could they be?” Chloe snarked, nose in the air. Marinette couldn’t help choking out a giggle.

** “You mustn’t let her get to you, Marinette,” Tikki said. Marinette groaned. **

** “If I can’t expose her, she’ll ruin my life, Tikki! She’ll turn all my friend against me, including Adrien!” Growling, Marinette hit the wall of the stall with the side of her fist. That anger quickly dissolved into tears, as Marinette covered her face and cried into her hands. Tikki opened her mouth before quickly squeaking. **

** “Marinette, look out!” Head shooting up, Marinette eyed an akuma heading right for her. She screamed.  **

“Marinette!” Kim shouted, just as the screen turned black. He whipped around to face the current one, grabbing her shoulders and looking her over. “Are you okay!?”

Marinette smiled sadly. “I’m fine. I resisted the akuma with Tikki’s help and it flew away.”

“That’s our strong Nettie,” Nino praised, ruffling her hair. She laughed, only stopping when Alya walked up. Alya frowned, meeting Marinette’s stare head on.

“I’m sorry,” Alya said. “I shouldn’t have doubted you, and I shouldn’t have chosen Lila over you. You’re my best friend, and I abandoned you. I’m... I’m really sorry, Marinette. I don’t know if you can forgive me but I wanted you to know that I’m sorry that I hurt you and that you have every right to hate me for it. I’ll accept it if you don’t want to be friends anymore.”

Marinette shook her head, wrapping Alya in a hug. “You’re my best friend. I forgive you.”

Again, Douloureux watched them from the back with that conflicted face.

“Don’t make sense,” he muttered to himself. “Bad memories. Bad. So why happy? Why good now? I don’t...”

He shook his head. Frowning, he prepared to play the next memory.

“Three.”

** Ladybug looked around. Her view was distorted slightly by the water, but nothing could hide the truth. She almost gasped at the first body, barely stopping herself from inhaling water. It was a woman, skin wrinkled and pale. Her eyes were still open, unseeing as she floated in the water. Marinette wanted to puke. Fish swam by, nipping at the dead body. A larger fish came out of nowhere, swallowing the body and all the little fish whole. Ladybug hid behind a chimney. Lungs screaming, she swam to the surface. She gasped for breath, shivering but not from the cold. The sight of the woman’s body replayed in her mind, but she steeled herself. She was Ladybug. She had to be strong. She took a deep breath and went back under. The first body she’d reacted, but the next dozen she doesn’t. **

For a moment, no one spoke.

“Ondine...?” Kim whispered, horrified. Marinette shook her head.

“Syren. Ondine wouldn’t do that. That was the work of Hawkmoth and his manipulation.” She swallowed hard. She still had nightmares about the things she she saw that day. She still woke up, gasping and crying and desperately trying to hold herself together so that Hawkmoth couldn’t send any akuma for her. It haunted her. This, Douloureux seemed to understand, as his confusion faded back into understanding.

“Sad,” he said.

Marinette stared at him. “Very.”

Not giving anyone any time to comment, Douloureux turned back to the screen. It was time.

“Four.”

Marinette took a deep breath and prepared for the last memory. As soon as it started though, she lost all her breath.

** The world was desolate, the moon cracked in two. The Eiffel Tower was on it’s side, water having flooded to the roofs of most of the buildings. Not a soul was in sight, except the white form of a boy. **

”No,” Marinette gasped immediately. “No, no, anything but this. Not this! Please not this!”

She collapsed to the ground, shaking and covering her ears. Nino went down with her, meeting Kim’s wide eyes over her head. Whatever this memory was, it was _bad_.

  
**“Little kitty on a roof, all alone without his lady,” he sung.**

** “Chat... Noir?” Ladybug called out. The humming stopped.  **

** “M’lady?” He turned around, black suit dyed white and green eyes glowing an icy blue. He smiled. **

** “I thought I’d lost you!” He exclaimed. “Oh, I was feline so sad that you were gone!” **

Adrien froze. “That’s... impossible.”

** He walked slowly, arms spread like he wanted a hug. Ladybug backed away. **

** “W-What’s happened to you?” She shook her head, “No! Don’t tell me. We’re going to fix everything!” **

** Chat Noir’s grin only widened as he walked around her. “Of course we’re going to fix everything now that you’re back and now that you’re going to  _ give me your Miraculous _ _!_ ” **

** He reached for her earrings, eyes losing their softness to let madness bleed through. She kicked him away, backflipping out of his reach. **

** “My Miraculous? What’s wrong with you, Chat Noir?” She cried. Chat stood slowly, pouting. **

** “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude, m’lady. Could you please hand me your Miraculous?” He asked, feigning innocence. It sent a shiver down her back. **

** “Chat Blanc has... gotten into some mischief,” he finished, ears drooping like a real cat. Ladybug’s chest ached. **

** “You’ve been akumatized, Chat. You don’t need my Miraculous, you need me to purify your akuma. Let me help you!” Walking closer, she wiped his tears. He didn’t even open his eyes. **

** “Save me,” he whimpered. **

“No... no, no, no.” Adrien could only watch in growing horror. “How did this...? When?”

“Yeah, Chat Noir’s never been akumatized before,” Juleka pointed out. Marinette couldn’t breath.

“Not in this timeline,” she whispered.

** “My poor kitty,” Ladybug breathed. “Tell me, do you remember where the akuma went?”  **

** She moved his bell, before checking his baton. Last, she reached for his hand. His ring gleamed on his finger. Just as she reached for it, Chat Blanc grabbed her wrist and twisted it to press against his heart.  **

** “Right here, but it’s already broken,” he said with a deranged smile. He made another grab for her earrings and she fought him off. Running away, she took a dive off the roof and towards the water. Chat Blanc raced after her. **

** “Now you’re breaking more than just my heart,  _ Marinette _ ,” he hissed. Ladybug whipped around to gape at him, fumbling her landing and bruising up her limbs. **

** “What did you call me?” She gasped, breathless. Chat Blanc’s smile was merciless. She pushed herself to her knees, stumbling backwards as he pressed forward. **

** “What’s wrong?” He laughed. “C’mon, why don’t you give me a hug,  _ Marinette _ !” **

** He lunged for her, hand sparking as it just missed her head. She jumped away, fear evident in the way she didn’t allow him out of her sight. **

** “It’s impossible!” She shouted, frantically. “I never told you anything!” **

_ I’m trying to kill her _ _,_ Adrien thinks blankly.  _ She’s my partner and I’m trying to  kill her. Why...? How did it come to this? _

** Ladybug skidded to a stop, facing Chat Blanc cautiously. He sneered. **

** “Give me your Miraculous so I can make everything go back to way it was!” He demanded. Pulling back his hands, he started pulling sparks from the air and moulding them into a ball. **

** “Mega-cataclysm!” He shouted, throwing it at her. She just barely dodged, jumping onto a nearby roof. As she hit the gravel, she could see a power wave of destruction burst in every direction. The last remaining skyscraper crumbled under its power, shaking the whole city. She jumped for the Eiffel Tower, leading Chat Blanc to equal grounds. **

Rose gasped, tears in her eyes.

** “Things were purr-felt until Hawkmoth found out about everything,” Chat Blanc lamented. “You know how it is; once the cat is out of the bag, it’s only a matter of time until everyone knows!” **

** Ladybug hid behind a support beam as Chat Blanc scoured the first level of the tower. Her heart was beating so loud, she barely heard his next words. **

** “It was our love that did this to the world, m’lady!” Chat Blanc laughed cruelly. Ladybug stared out at the destruction. Homes underwater, people dead, civilization completely destroyed. Because of her. Because of Chat Noir and her. How could she claim to be a hero and yet cause the destruction of her own city? **

“No,” Rose breathed. “No, love conquers all but... not like this.”

** Chat Blanc swung up onto the beam she was hiding on, back to her. “I’ll find you, m’lady, and when I do, you’ll give me your Miraculous!”  **

** Barely thinking, she tackled him, sending them both flying. They smacked into another beam and she stole his baton before racing off again. She broke it over her knee. **

** “Time to de- uh?” No akuma made its escape. She frantically turned the baton around but nothing came out. Chat Blanc chuckled. **

“The bell, Ladybug! The bell!” Alya shouted, too invested to realize that Ladybug couldn’t actually hear her.

** “Looking for my akuma, m’lady?” Without a second thought, he threw another charged up cataclysm at her. Making an escape, Ladybug dodged cataclysm after cataclysm, flipping onto the leg of the Eiffel Tower. **

** “There’s a faster way to make this end, you know,” Chat Blanc commented casually. “You just need to hand over your Miraculous!” **

**Ladybug risked a glance back at the water that surrounded them. “Never! Lucky Charm!”**

** Calling on her power, Ladybug caught a ladybug themed eraser as it fell to her. Chat Blanc eyed it skeptically. **

** “An eraser?” He shook his head. “I’d like to erase the past too, but there’s only one way to do that.” **

** He pressed his middle finger and his thumb together, charging up a cataclysm ready to be thrown at any moment. Slowly, he started to walk towards her. **

** “You know that by merging our Miraculous together, we’d be granted one wish, right? Any wish we wanted?” **

The class gasped.

“I-Is that true?” Sabrina stuttered, staring Marinette with wide eyes. Marinette flinched.

“Yes, but you don’t understand! The Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous are two sides of a coin. They maintain balanceand function on terms of an equal exchange. Your wish would be the same. If you wished to bring someone close to you back from the dead, someone else you care for would have to die. If you wished for the cure to a disease, a new disease would ravage the world! It’s playing with fire,” she insisted.

** “Well, my wish would be to fix everything, so we could be in love again!” Chat Blanc declared. Ladybug desperately looked for a way to use her Lucky Charm but she couldn’t see anything.  **

** “And have a hamster too,” he continued, “You’ve always dreamed of having one. We’ll call it...” **

** He stopped in front of her. She could only stare as he raised a hand to hold her cheek, heart shattering. Then, just as he reached for her Miraculous, she grabbed his wrist, throwing her legs up and slamming him into the ground. She wrestled for a firm grip on his arm before snagging his belt and retreating. This time, she didn’t even bother saying her catchphrase as she snapped the belt in two. Still no akuma. **

“C’mon, Ladybug!” Mylene cheered, squeezing Ivan’s hand. 

** “You’re not even listening,” Chat Blanc spat. “You don’t understand.” **

** Dead eyes stared at her while she pulled out her yo-yo. Without a word, he shot a cataclysm at her feet, breaking the ground under her and sending her falling into the depths of the water. She screamed, hitting the water hard and barely avoiding being hit by debris. Blinking and holding her breath, Ladybug turned to see the street by the dance studio. She almost cried. People were standing on the streets, frozen in time as decayed humanoid shapes. She wondered if her friends were down there somewhere, her parents. Flipping her yo-yo open to use as an oxygen tank, she swam to ground. A huge scorch mark marred the ground like an explosion had gone off, and in front of it, two bodies stood. The first, with that distinct cane and outfit, was Hawkmoth. The second... **

** Ladybug swam closer. The figure had their hair back in pigtails and a familiar mask on. A dust yo-yo sat on their waist. **

“Is that...?” Adrien almost puked. Forget  _ trying _ to kill Ladybug,  _ he’d already succeeded . _

“N-No way! Chat Noir’s a hero, he wouldn’t...” Kim stared in horror. Rose sobbed, hiding her face in Juleka’s arms. No one else could find their voice.

** Ladybug reached out. Just as her fingers grazed this version’s face, it (she) crumbled into dust and got swept away by the water. She couldn’t stand being here any longer. She had to get Chat Blanc’s akuma and make everything right again. Wrapping her yo-yo around the Eiffel Tower again and yanking herself up, Ladybug landed facing Chat Blanc’s back. **

** “What did you do to them?” She couldn’t help asking. Chat Blanc didn’t even turn to face her. **

** “I didn’t mean to,” he said, and even though his tone was blank, she knew it tore him apart. He barely glanced at her. **

** “Why won’t you try and help me fix it?” He wondered, before his tone hardened. “The simple truth is, you don’t love me anymore! So I might as well destroy you, me, our memories, everything!” **

Marinette hugged herself, sobs wracking her body. _ My kitty. My poor, poor kitty. _

** Raising his hand to the sky, Chat Blanc started charging his biggest mega-cataclysm yet. Ladybug was scared. **

** “No!” She shouted, reaching for him. The mega-cataclysm only grew, bigger than the city, then the planet, then the galaxy. It would destroy everything if it was released. **

** “Okay, okay! I’ll give you my Miraculous, Chat Noir!” Ladybug relented. In an instant, the cataclysm winked out of existence. Chat Blanc watched her with sad eyes, shaking his head. **

** “I’m not Chat Noir anymore. I’m Chat Blanc.” He flicked his bell. Ladybug walked up to him, head down. Putting her hands on his chest, she wondered if he could feel how her whole body trembled. Meeting his eyes, Ladybug blinked away tears. **

** “You’ll always be Chat Noir to me,” she murmured, slowly leaning forward. Her eyes fluttered as their lips just gently skimmed each other. Right as he ducked down to kiss her, she snatched the bell off the front of his suit, cracking it open and watching as his akuma finally escaped. **

** “No more evil-doing for you, little akuma.” Sliding open her yo-yo, Ladybug took the akuma right of the air, releasing a purified butterfly seconds after. Black sludge covered Chat Blanc’s body, revealing a confused Chat Noir. He looked around quickly, cupping his hands as the butterfly landed on them. Ladybug smiled so as not to cry. **

** “Mini-bug, you did it!” Bunnix cried from behind her. Ladybug was about to run for the portal when Chat Noir finally spoke up. **

“Future me?” Alix perked up. 

** “Marinette? What happened? What’s wrong?”  **

** She said nothing, eyes on the floor. She couldn’t bare to look at him after all that had happened.  **

** “You’re still calling me Marinette,” she murmured. “You’re not supposed to know who I am. It means that if I use my Miracle Cure to fix everything now...” **

** Bunnix sighed. “You’ll still have this memory of her.” **

** Ladybug stared at her eraser, blinking when it lit up. Glancing around, she saw Bunnix’s portal covered in her pattern too. **

** “Of course!” She realized. She still couldn’t quite look him in the eye, but running at Chat Noir, she hugged him close.  **

** “Don’t worry, Chat Noir. I’m going to fix everything. I promise,” she whispered.  **

** Making a break for Bunnix’s portal, she barely heard his confident, “You always do.” **

The screen faded to static.

“‘What’s seen cannot be unseen,’” Marinette quoted Bunnix. “I made sure that Chat Blanc never existed in our timeline but as a result... I’m the only one who knows about him in the first place.”

Everyone was kind enough not to mention how her voice broke.

“You never told him,” Adrien whispered, soft but accusing, “You never told Chat Noir.”

Marinette let out a bitter laugh. “And what was I supposed to tell him? ‘We can’t reveal our identities because in an alternate timeline where you know mine, it drives you to insanity and you get akumatized, not only killing me and Hawkmoth but wiping out humanity as we know it. Oh and, by the way, I also have nightmares every night about you trying to kill me and steal my Miraculous in some twisted obsession with bringing me back to life and making everything right again.’ I’m sure that would have gone over so well.”

Adrien was silent. What was one to say to that?

Douloureux walked up to Marinette, grabbing her hand and holding it tightly. “Bad memories. I make them go bye-bye.”

Marinette’s head shot up. “No! You can’t, I-I need them!”

“Why? Why keep? They make you sad,” Douloureux insisted. Marinette gave a bittersweet smile. 

“Yeah. They make me sad. They make me very sad, but... they also teach me. They make me smart, and wise. They make me sad, but they make me happy too.”

“How?” His voice broke, tears in his eyes. “How? Hurts. It hurts.”

Marinette hugged him. “I know it hurts. But there cannot be happiness without sadness, relief without pain. There must be balance. You are hurting now. But think of all the happy times you’ve had before. Do you remember them?”

Douloureux buried his face in her stomach. His hands trembled from their place clutching her shirt. Happiness? Could he remember happy memories? Yes. Yes, he could remember ice cream with Mama and going to the park with Papa. He could remember sneaking into their bed in the mornings and giggling as Papa tickled him and Mama laughed. He could remember happy memories. Pulling back and eeaching into his bag, Douloureux pulled out the first jar. Inside, a stolen galaxy of memories twinkled in the light. It was his Mama’s bad memories. Douloureux stared at it. He glanced up at Marinette. She was kind, like Mama, and strong, like Papa. He liked her. Looking down, he gave her the jar.

“Akuma,” he said simply. Marinette drew in a sharp breath. Slowly, she reached out and grabbed it.

“Thank you,” she said softly. “Don’t worry. I’ll help you, Douloureux. You’re a good boy.”

He sniffled. “‘M sorry.”

“Don’t be. You’re a good boy.” She ruffled his hair. Opening her bag, Marinette gave Tikki a glance.

“Tikki, spots on.”

A bright pink light flashed before Ladybug stood in the place of Marinette. The class was in awe. Shattering the jar, Ladybug quickly sent her yo-yo after the akuma.

“No more evil-doing for you, little akuma. Time to de-evilize!” She let it go, purified. “Bye, bye little butterfly.”

Ladybug quickly threw her yo-yo up. “Lucky Charm!”

A photo fell into her hands. A picture Chat Noir had insisted on taking during patrol. He was grinning at the camera, arm thrown over her shoulder and his hand positioned in a peace sign. She was in the middle of rolling her eyes, failing at hiding her smile. A tear dropped onto the picture. Quickly, Ladybug wiped her face.

“Ahem. Miraculous Ladybug!” She threw the photo into the air, and the world around them disappeared. Ladybug blinked and she was back in her classroom.

“W-Whoa...” Alya groaned. “What happened?”

Ladybug winced as a headache pushed against her eyes. “Honestly? I’m... not exactly sure.”

“Last thing I remember, Marinette was talking to some weird guy at the front of the class,” Nino said, massaging his temples. 

“She was?” Ladybug blurted. “I mean, yes, of course she was. Um... there was an akuma. Don’t worry though, I dealt with it already.” She quickly mumbled an, “I hope.”

Her earrings beeped. “Oh, time to go. Um, bug out, I guess?”

She left through the window. Minutes later, Marinette burst in through the door.

“What the hell happened!? There was an akuma and then suddenly I was in a different classroom and Ladybug’s telling me that she’s fixed it?” Marinette blubbered. 

“I... don’t remember anything after that boy grabbing Marinette’s wrist,” Adrien admitted. The rest of the class murmured in agreement. As they tried to correlate stories and figure out what really happened in the spots in their memories, Tikki chewed on a cookie in Marinette’s bag. 

_ Marinette, my sweet Marinette,  _ Tikki thought to herself.  _ Just this once, I’ll fix everything for you. Don’t worry, I’ll keep these memories safe. None of you have to worry about them. _

(When Alya got home, she opened her phone to find a video she didn’t remember recording. The timestamp said it was taken during the time that had been erased from everyone’s memories. Curious, she pressed play. Chloe’s voice flooded her speakers.

_”What the hell!? You only just mention this now!? Why are you talking to an akuma in the first place!?”_ )

**Author's Note:**

> I wasn’t sure how to end this?? I hope it isn’t too bad. This is another one of my ‘I don’t want to go to bed so let’s write some random story’. Thanks for reading!
> 
> Please note; any comments with swearing or inappropriate content will automatically be deleted :)
> 
> Edit: just realized I spelt Bunnyx (Bunnix) wrong throughout the whole story but I’m too lazy to go back and find them all. rip.


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